The Melancholy of a King
by Zeph the Mage
Summary: When a thunderstom arrives and Tamaki finds Haruhi cooped up in one of the libraries, he decides to take her home with him. Chaos is bound to ensue, and Haruhi sees a part of the princely character she had never seen before. Could this turn into love?
1. I'll take You

**This is an Ouran short-story I've been racking my brain over for months now, and I finally came up with an idea. It's short and fluffy, with – of course – Tamaki's little depression-sessions. This takes place after the last episode of the Anime, with the host days continuing as they used too.**

* * *

_**~*~ **__**The Melancholy of a King**__** ~*~**_

_**1**_

"_**I'll take You"**_

Squeals of delight admitted from the half-open doors of Music Room #3. Inside the once abandoned room, the members of the Ouran Host Club were enjoying another day of business.

There were more girls that usual that day, for the hosts were cosplaying as Japanese emperors. They were all wearing silk kimonos with a crane pattern, Tamaki in a long scarlet one, the twins in gold, Mori in navy, Honey in sky-blue, Kyouya in charcoal-gray, and Haruhi in a light shade of lavender – something Tamaki had insisted upon. The king was currently charming a red-faced brunet while holding her gasping form in his arms.

"My princess," he muttered silkily. "Nothing could compare to the beauty in your soul…" He ran one hand through his hair, gently pulling the girl to his chest. "My heart beats frantically for you! Even with such luscious looks, I am no comparison. Say you shall not leave me…"

Tamaki's indigo eyes sparkled as he said this, his blonde eyebrows arching in sadness. His face crept closer to hers, his long fingers cupping her face with their noses nearly touching. The brunet gasped once again – you would think she would have hiccups by now – and with her face growing redder with each second, she cheered, "Ooh, Tamaki-senpai! I won't!"

As the princely blonde stepped away from her, the girl swayed in a daze with her eyes popping into hearts.

Haruhi, who had watched the scene, rolled her eyes in disgust. She loved the host club very much, but part of her was starting to get annoyed by the king's effortless charm.

"Tamaki-senpai," she muttered as the young man walked over to her. Tamaki glanced at her, and his face turned red. He had not seen her dressed in the cosplay theme yet, for customers had poured in from the second they opened.

"You're…so…_cute_!" he cheered immaturely, hugging Haruhi tightly while spinning in circles.

"Senpai –" Haruhi growled, trying to break from the weak imprisonment. Tamaki reluctantly stepped away, but was still smiling giddily.

"Looks like Tono's sexually harassing Haruhi again," Hikaru and Karou said in unison. Tamaki gasped in horror and turned white. With a whimper, he crouched in his corner, utterly depressed. The twins laughed, resting arms on the other's shoulder while Haruhi let out a tired sigh. It seemed that every day began to repeat itself – a normal day of hosting, Tamaki giving his charm, finding her cute over something, and then taunted by the two red-heads. She almost felt bad for him.

"Give him a break," Haruhi said bluntly in her tomboyish tone. She walked over to Tamaki and patted his shoulder. "Come out of it, senpai," she continued.

"Haven't I told you before?!" Tamaki snapped, suddenly bolting to his feet. "Don't call me "senpai". Besides, I…"

Trailing off, the blonde tilted his head to the ground and turned a dark shade of crimson.

"I-I'm your father!" he blurted, as if trying to cover his mistake. Haruhi simply cocked an eyebrow bluntly, sending Tamaki to the corner again.

-*-*-

It was a long day for the hosts, and by the time the final girl had left, the last rays of sunset had been blanketed by a sheet of gray clouds. Tamaki was folding the kimonos and placing them back in the storage closet, seeming rather depressed about something.

He stood up slowly, loosening the striped tie around his neck and draping the light-blue blazer over his shoulders.

"Why did I make up such a stupid excuse?" he muttered. "Damn it…"

Tamaki shut the door to the closet and walked down the marble floors of the deserted music room. He paused when a faint rumble went over the sky.

_Haruhi…_

Immediately she came to his mind. But, she would be home by now… There was no need to be concerned – she had left hours ago. Tamaki sighed and closed his eyes. He worried too much.

By the time he had locked up the music room and flipped the sign, having it say, "The Host Club is now closed," rain was pattering against the roof of Ouran Academy. It was rare that he was here so late, so Tamaki found himself glancing down the empty corridors as if expecting Nekozawa or something else to turn up.

When he came past Library #4, he thought he heard a soft whimper.

"No…she's not here…" he reassured himself, prying his hands off the golden handle. He took a few steps down the hall. However, lightning cracked through the sky, and Tamaki heard a loud yelp.

"_**Haruhi**_**!**" he yelled, spinning on his heel. He dropped his blazer and tried to open the library door. It was locked. "Haruhi, are you in there? Haruhi?!"

There was no reply. Tamaki was becoming desperate.

"I know that was you! Open the door!"

Still, there was silence. But a yell of fear came as another bolt of lightning shot through the sky. Impatient, the blonde tried to fiddle with the exposed part of the lock. He managed to find a lose piece of metal, and with a few moves, there was a faint click. Tamaki slammed the doors open and scanned the library. It didn't make sense that she would coop herself inside the room, not to mention there were windows on every wall. He spotted the shivering girl underneath one of the studying tables.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted, running over to her. He collapsed to his knees and crouched down, peering underneath the table. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you left already!"

"I-I did…" Haruhi stuttered feebly. "But then Hikaru –" She yelped again as two more bolts of lightning were shot through the sky. Tamaki's anger vanished and he lowered his head in shame.

"Why did you stay here?" he muttered. Haruhi's chocolate eyes swam with tears as she stared at him. His body began to take control of himself, and he extended his hand. She took it, and he gently pulled her out from under the table.

"I'm sorry you had to come save me again."

"Daddy wants you safe," Tamaki stated, worry coating his expression. "I had a feeling you were still here." Haruhi didn't say anything, curling herself into a ball and whimpering as thunder boomed and the rain pounded harder; Tamaki wrapped his arms around her instinctively. "I told you I'd always be here for you," he continued.

Haruhi clutched the back of his shirt, but suddenly pulled away.

"You're – you're not g-going to use earplugs and a blindfold, are you?" she muttered between sobs, furrowing her eyebrows angrily. Tamaki slung his arms off of her, shouting rants in shock.

"**I was never doing anything perverted – I was trying to help you!! – it's all Hikaru and Karou's fault – why would daddy harm his little girl?! –"**

"Senpai, I was just being sarcastic," Haruhi grumbled. She sniffed before continuing – mostly to herself, "Ugh…what is dad going to say? I-I was supposed to be home by now but the bus already left."

Tamaki's eyes widened.

"Then you're coming home with me," he said bluntly. "Come on."

"What?!" Haruhi blurted. "I – but –"

"No buts."

Tamaki unexpectedly slid one arm underneath Haruhi's legs and pulled her into his chest. He stood up and walked slowly out of the library, leaving the girl in his arms to lie against his shoulder. He bent down and retrieved his blazer, giving it to Haruhi while pulling his cell from his pocket. He hastily pressed a speed dial, the phone clicking a few times before a woman's voice came on the other lie.

"Hello? Yes – I need a ride," Tamaki blurted.

"It's already on its way, sir," the woman muttered.

"Oh…good. Thank you."

Tamaki flipped the lid closed and placed the phone back in his pocket.

"Don't worry, Haruhi," he muttered, looking over at her and smiling. "It will be alright once we're there."

"Senpai, I don't think this is such a good idea…" Haruhi muttered nervously against his shirt, holding his wrinkled blazer in her lap.

"Forget about that."

As they came to the entry hall, Tamaki pulled Haruhi's dainty form closer and bolted into a run. He continued outside, being careful not to slip, where a black limousine pulled up to the main gate just in time. Wrenching open the door, the two bolted inside like a stampede. Haruhi hastily regained her composure and put on her seatbelt, handing his blazer to him.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," she grumbled. "What about my dad?"

Tamaki suddenly turned pale. He said he would take care of everything. But Ranka Fujioka had gotten a bad first impression…what would happen if he said Haruhi was with him?

"Uhm…" Tamaki's face was red. "I know. I'll have the twins call him and tell him that you're at their house."

He sympathetically chuckled. Haruhi's eyelid twitched.

"You moron," she snapped; Tamaki's white form crouched against the door.

* * *

**I know the first chapter is kind of cheesy, but there you have it! Hope you like it so far – sorry if it was a little long. The story will eventually be a fluffy romance fic, since that seems to be the only kind of fanfics I can write xD**


	2. A day of life in the Suoh Family!

**Sorry for the slow update – I was in Disney World on vacation :D Well this chapter is starting to show how Tamaki acts when he has guests…with it being Haruhi…well… -_-;;**

****

* * *

_**2**_

_**A day of life in the Suoh Family!**_

When the limo pulled up to the mansion, the thunder and lightning had ceased but the rain was still pouring. The driver handed Tamaki a spare umbrella that had been in the trunk; the blonde took it thankfully and hastily gestured for Haruhi to get out of the car.

Haruhi hopped out of the back seat and ran underneath the umbrella. She had to squeeze next to Tamaki's tall frame to stay dry, which she wasn't so keen about. Tamaki simply gave her a loving smile.

_Of all people to get stuck with, it's this idiot, _Haruhi thought with a sigh, blankly staring ahead. She felt him slide one arm around her waist, drawing them closer.

"Hey!" she snapped angrily, smacking his hand away.

"You were getting wet!" Tamaki protested. Haruhi snorted in disgust and shuffled away from him, though still trying to stay until the umbrella. As soon as they were on the terrace she sprung away from him. Tamaki was confused and slightly hurt, but he didn't show this. Shaking the umbrella against the marble, the blonde slid one hand into his bangs, combing the wet locks. Haruhi caught a glance of this and found herself blushing.

"_Besides, people say I'm dripping with good looks…"_

"Damn rich people," she whispered under her breath, bravely stepping forward and reaching out a hand to open the door. Tamaki caught her wrist before she could do so.

"Hold on," he said. "Let's open it together."

_What the hell? _Haruhi thought with a cocked eyebrow. Tamaki simply smiled, and – with his hand still over hers – they pushed open the doors. Of course, as should be expected, they were confronted by a large marble foyer and a carpeted staircase that parted directions in the middle.

Haruhi had a blank look over her face as her gaze flickered around the room.

"So this is where you live…" she said bluntly.

"You don't like it?!" Tamaki blurted. "I-I mean…well…yes."

Haruhi rolled her eyes at the sudden outburst. Tamaki had to be the most immature person she had ever met. His head was bent and he was blushing, with his collared shirt and black slacks dotted with raindrops. Tamaki lifted his head, a sudden seriousness in his eyes.

"Haruhi," he whispered nervously, grasping her shoulders and leaning close to her. She could feel his breath on her face. "I…I…"

His face grew redder with each word. He sucked in a breath and blurted, "_I think you look really cute_!" Tamaki quickly hugged her, trying not to make it obvious that he had made yet another excuse. Haruhi's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but Tamaki continued to hold her lovingly, moving one hand to the back of her head and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Uhm…Tamaki-sama?" a female voice said slowly.

Tamaki – being an idiot – swung around to face the voice with Haruhi still in his arms.

"Yes?" he said quickly. The maid cocked an eyebrow with an open smile of mute surprise. Tamaki quickly realized the seriousness of the position, but instead pulled Haruhi as close to him as possible.

"**You shouldn't be eavesdropping on my conversations! – **I-I'm fine, but could you please go? **– this is extremely rude towards your master! –** I know you've never seen her before, but anyways –" he ranted, going in and out of shouting. After that last gasping pause, his eyes widened in horror, and with a wail of desperation the blonde dropped Haruhi's limp form and dashed to his room. The door slammed not even a second after his departure.

"Tamaki-sama?" the maid called.

"I'll take care of him," Haruhi grumbled, making her way up the staircase.

-*-*-

"Please?!" Tamaki begged, pressing the cell into his cheek. "I'm on a standstill here – I really need your help!"

"Looks like Tono's being a coward," the twins replied from the other line.

"I can't talk to Haruhi's father! Don't you remember what happened last time?" their king hissed.

"Okay, boss. What's the number."

Tamaki hastily blurted the digits, his hands shaking as he sat on his plush bed.

"Will do," Hikaru said.

"But you'll have to pay us back!" Karou finished. The phone clicked after the twins hung up, a dull buzz coming from the line. Tamaki sighed in relief, but immediately began to worry. What would be asked of him now? Every time they told him to repay them, it was literally more like "payback".

There were three soft knocks at the door.

Tamaki snatched his shirt and quickly covered his bare chest.

"C-Come in," he muttered, regaining his composure. Haruhi came into the monstrous room with a blank face.

"Senpai, you need to…" she muttered, but froze. Tamaki froze too, his shirt dropping to his lap. His face was scarlet, Haruhi's pale.

"_Ah! You noticed!" "Haruhi, you're in a daze. Are you falling for me?"_

"Damn those quotes," Haruhi swore under her breath.

"Huh?"

She looked up to see a confused Tamaki sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"Nothing…you need to get ready for dinner. The maid said it will be ready soon."

"Oh. Okay."

Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, glancing from the bed to the door as Haruhi went out into the hall.

-*-*-

_I knew this was a bad idea,_ Haruhi thought bitterly as she tried to fiddle with her hair. She didn't have any clothes or a toothbrush or anything – not that she planned on staying long. Of course, just as she realized this, Tamaki burst through the doors.

"Haruhi, are you ready yet?" he sang airily.

"No, you idiot. I have nothing to wear," Haruhi replied bluntly. Tamaki clasped his hands over his face, then quickly struck a dramatic pose while blurting, "Then operation 'Get-Haruhi-Clothes!' is now in progress!" Haruhi sweat-dropped while cocking an eyebrow.

"Senpai, now's really not the time to have one of your…uh…operations –"

"Nonsense! Besides, there's many dresses here. My servants need to look the best, you know."

"Your 'servants'?" Haruhi questioned, half of her face turning blue. "You sick cheapskate –"

"_**Not that type of servant**_**!**" Tamaki yelled, throwing his arms in the air. "My maids!"

Haruhi grumbled gibberish nonsense as she was practically dragged out of the room by the Host Club's king, who had quickly changed emotions and was jumping up and down like the Easter Bunny at the thought of his daughter wearing a frilly dress.

They scaled many marble-floored hallways until they came to one monstrous closet, almost a fourth of Music Room #3 – which was quite large. There were dresses upon dresses, along with matching sets of shoes, hair accessories, and any other piece of clothing imaginable. To a normal girl, this would be heaven on earth. To Haruhi, this was a living hell.

"Oh god," she croaked, her eyebrows twitching as she scanned the room. "Please tell me you're trying to be funny."

"Haruhi," Tamaki grunted, patting her back reassuringly. "You would look beautiful in these – **I-I mean cute!**"

His face was scarlet and he was looking away, leaving Haruhi unsurprisingly puzzled.

"Senpai, you'd better not put those on me."

"Only one, my princess."

"I'm not one of your customers!"

"_S-Sorry_! I wasn't thinking –"

"_**Well get out then**_**!**"

"B-But Haruhi – daddy wants to stay with you –"

"You _pervert_! You honestly think I'll let you stay in here while I'm changing?! What king of moron are you?!"

Tamaki turned pale and slunk away from the fuming girl, hastily snatching a black bandana and tying it over his eyes.

"There, I can't see –" he muttered, but this, of course, sent him crashing to the floor over his own feet.

-*-*-

The butler placing silver trays of food on the dining table jumped at the sudden bang that came from the floors below. He furrowed his bushy eyebrows when pounding feet came along, and Tamaki burst into the rectangular room limping as quickly as possible on his left leg.

"Sir," the thin man began, but Tamaki quickly cut him off by snapping, "I'm _fine_. Haruhi will be down in a minute…we will wait for her. She is our guest tonight."

With a shrug, the butler continued to place the food and tableware on the massive piece of wooden furniture. Tamaki sat at one end of the table, waiting patiently while drumming his fingers against the cherry oak. Haruhi eventually entered the large room looking very annoyed. She was wearing a loose cotton dress that was a very pale blue, with ruffles around the low collar and a ribbon around her waist. Tamaki squealed in delight and dashed to her, rubbing his cheek against hers while chanting, "You're so cute!"

The butler and other maids cocked eyebrows in confusion at their master's sudden urge to cuddle this girl, whom they had never seen before.

"Sit down, sit down," Tamaki continued, pushing Haruhi towards the other end of the table. She did so – however with a grudge.

There was awkward silence over the room as Tamaki ate with a huge grin on his face, Haruhi simply blank. Even the servants watching them were slightly amused by their actions. Slowly – very, very slowly – the food was gone, and the two sat in the deathly-quiet room. Tamaki was starting to get disturbed by the muteness, and quickly remembered something.

"Haruhi!" he blurted, racing over to her and grabbing her hand, yanking them into the sitting room and slamming the door shut. Haruhi blushed at the realization of them being alone.

_Why am I acting like this?!_ she thought angrily, clenching her hands into fists. Tamaki still seemed giddy over the fact that she was staying there, but his happiness began to fade. He gulped before continuing, "Yes, uhm, Haruhi…" he whispered. "All the other guest rooms are taken up by the people that work here…so…I think you will have to stay in my room tonight."

Haruhi actually jumped at this statement, slowly turning around to face the blonde, whose face was once again as red as a tomato.

_What?!_ her mind blurted, petrified. _He did not just…_

She bit her tongue to hold back, but said it anyway.

"Oh **hell** no."

* * *

**Yes, poor Tamaki xD I honestly have fallen in love with his personality and can finally update without worries. Well here's chapter two…might be a little confusing but I tend to bounce back and forth. The nerves in my fingers feel like ice right now… If you see typos, let me know. I just finished it and want to get it updated, so typing quickly with these long fingers leads to mistakes. I'll read it over in the morning and fix any I spot. Please review if you like this story – no reviews means no motivation, and that means no story!**


	3. A Sleepover with the King

**And this is where chaos is bound to ensue! Poor Tamaki and horrified Haruhi…how will they take this situation…**

* * *

_**3**_

_**A Sleepover with the King**_

"_Oh __**hell**__ no."_

The blunt statement was still echoing inside of Tamaki's head. He was chewing on his fingernails nervously in fear that Haruhi would blow up. And needless to say, she rather looked like it. Her face was the darkest shades of red down into her neck, eyes an endless flame of white with her shoulders vibrating in shock. An intimidating vortex of purple and black formed behind her growling body, causing Tamaki to whimper like a child.

"H-Haruhi…?" he whispered. "Is there…a problem with that?"

Haruhi shot him a stabbing glare, sending chills down his spine.

"You make one move and I'll kick you on the floor," she snapped. Tamaki's pupils grew small in horror.

"It's a vow!" he said in a mousy voice, lifting one hand into the air.

-*-*-

The full moon cast a pale glow over Tamaki's monstrous room. He was in his usual sky-blue cotton pajamas, while Haruhi had been given some basketball shorts and an overly-large tee-shirt that he had spared. The two stood wearily at the edge of the bed, both unsure of what to do next.

"Well…" Tamaki began slowly. "I…guess I could…manage…" He gulped nervously, running a hand through his blonde locks.

"Don't you have a sleeping bag?" Haruhi stated bluntly. Tamaki's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"A sleeping bag? What's that?"

Haruhi grunted and rolled her eyes.

"Never mind," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. Tamaki sighed slowly, his cheeks turning a light hue of pink.

_This is bad…_ he thought, scenes of their usual "daddy-daughter" moments flickering inside his brain.

**~Inner Mind Theater #1:~**

_**Tamaki pulled back the curtain, not knowing that Haruhi was still getting dressed. He caught a glance of her flat sports bra, and the curtain fell limply from his grasp. He had been the last to realize she was a girl, and in the most obvious way possible… A click. The scene changed. **_

_**Renge was shooting that dramatic movie with him as the "lonely prince". He heard a crash and the lady manager's sudden exclamation of, "Haruhi, are you alright?!" Whipping around the corner, he saw what appeared to be a tear falling from her eye. He threatened the first person in sight, afterwards releasing the collared shirt reluctantly. He had cupped her face, his eyes shining with worry. At that point, he would have done anything… **_

_**Click. A new scene.**_

_**He had caught up with her and Mori after searching inside the Ootori's water park. Immediately he rushed to her side and hugged her from behind. "I was so worried…"**_

_**Click.**_

_**She had brought him back to realization just as he was leaving with Éclair. She had slipped. He jumped and caught her. He hugged her gently, and she had hugged him back…so many emotions had flooded his heart…but he knew which one had pulsed the strongest.**_

_**~End of Inner Mind Theater~**_

Tamaki's hands balled into fists. He knew now. It all made sense…why he thought she was so adorably cute, why he wanted to protect her precious lips, why he was so protective of her, why he was so jealous when she was with someone else. It wasn't as a father. It was simply as a man – as Tamaki.

_But…I can't tell her yet_.

"Tamaki-senpai?"

Her voice broke his thoughts, causing Tamaki to twitch slightly.

"W-What?" he stuttered. Haruhi cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you okay, senpai?" she muttered, turning to face him. He didn't know what to do. Now that he realized his affection for her wasn't as a father, his blood felt like ice.

"I'm fine," he stated, breathing deeply to calm himself. He looked over at her and smiled. Suddenly he felt like his life was fake – hosting all those girls with his natural charm, meaning every word he said. Now the only person he wanted to be a host for was Haruhi.

"Alright, then let's go to sleep."

Haruhi walked over to the king-sized bed and slipped underneath the plush covers, sighing in contentment at the comfortable mattress. It felt like lying on a cloud. Tamaki slowly joined her, his face scarlet.

"I-I could still sleep on the floor…" he muttered softly.

"You haven't done anything yet," Haruhi chuckled, causing Tamaki to cover his mouth with wide eyes.

"But, Haruhi –!"

She practically slapped him if it weren't for her laughing hysterically at his expression. Tamaki's face was nearly maroon, even down to his ears. His dark eyes shone against the redness of his face, simply full of shock.

"Senpai," Haruhi managed, holding her stomach. "I was just joking!"

Tamaki slowly slipped underneath the covers, hastily pressing his fuming face against the pillow. Haruhi gradually came out of laughing as she realized how embarrassed he seemed, and then she felt terrible. She probably teased him worse than the twins did.

"Tamaki," she whispered, for the first time saying his name by itself. The blonde jerked his head off the bedding after hearing this.

"Haruhi?" he said gently. His eyes shimmered slightly, losing focus as he reached out a hand and stroked her face. Haruhi raised her eyebrows and blushed.

_He's not acting like himself at all… _she thought, pursing her lips. She quickly noticed that Tamaki was looking at her in a strange way. She muttered his name nervously, but he didn't hear her. He was leaning close, eventually looking at her with a look full of depression in his gaze.

Tamaki slid away from Haruhi and turned so his back was facing her. He was afraid that he would wake up cuddling the life out of the poor girl. But…daddies weren't supposed to love their daughters romantically, right? He fell asleep pondering that thought, Haruhi still unsure what to make of him.

-*-*-

It was in the early hours of the morning. The sky was still dark and the stars had vanished, but a dark purplish-blue covered the looming horizon.

Tamaki wasn't sure what he was doing. He was half-asleep after all. Groggily squinting in the darkness, the blonde found himself crouched over Haruhi's sleeping form. He nearly screeched in terror, but managed to clasp his hand over his mouth before he could do so.

_Oh no, what do I do?! What do I do?! _he thought, the sound of his heartbeat drumming inside his brain. He lowered his head, clenching his teeth in frustration. Daddies shouldn't do this! It was bad! Of course, that rang inside his head as well, until the mixture of pumping blood and forced quotes began to give him a headache.

Tamaki slumped forward in defeat, whimpering as quietly as possible. It was inevitable that he would fall for her. Yet, it had been so long and he had never known. No wonder the twins said he was oblivious.

The proclaimed king of the host club was lost, having no clue what to do. Suddenly, he felt something warm against his lips. He didn't know what it was. He never thought of that first. He leaned into the soft object for comfort, his hands grasping the sheets in desperation. Why couldn't he stop himself? Oh, he was such an idiot!

The word echoed inside his head, repeating itself like the whispers of a ghost.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot…_

Immediately Tamaki realized the sensation causing his stomach to twist. His eyes sprung open, seeing Haruhi's blank face underneath him. His mouth felt dry, but he couldn't pull himself away. Whether on purpose, or just by accident, their lips…his lips…

Tamaki rolled off of her as if his life depended on it, tugging at his hair with his mouth open in horror.

"I…just…kissed…_Haruhi_!" he squealed under his breath, tears spilling down his cheeks. It should be expected that he didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

-*-*-

"What's the matter, Tamaki?" Kyouya said the next morning, pausing to look away from the laptop's screen. The blonde had been as quiet as a mouse for the first two quarters, refusing to host anyone – much to his normal guests' surprise.

Tamaki buried his head further into his knees, once again crouched in corner.

"I don't get it –" Kaoru said, Hikaru finishing, "– Why's Tono so depressed? We've seen some pretty bad sessions, but he's never like _this_."

"Tama-chan is acting a little strange," Honey muttered, Mori grunting in approval. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Haruhi, and that was simply because she had buckets of customers spilling on to her lap minute after minute. Besides, she had been dead asleep last night, and failed to notice that the king was acting more immature than usual.

"True. He hasn't said a word since he arrived here," Kyouya stated, glancing once more at the blonde hunched behind one of the marble pillars.

"We'll get him," the twins muttered, once seeing Haruhi finally get a break from hosting. They swept over to her and began their normal flirting, a little more straightforward that usual in hopes to get Tamaki back to normal.

"Wow, Haruhi, you look nice," Hikaru muttered slyly, leaning close to her face. "Hey, there's some tea on your lip."

"Yeah, there is," Kaoru confirmed with a smug look. "And some crumbs too."

Although these were just lures, the two slithered closer, Hikaru faintly outstretching his finger while his twin prepared to lick the corner of her lip. Tamaki immediately sprang from his corner, gnashing his teeth angrily.

"**You perverts – get away from my Haruhi!**" Tamaki yelled."**I thought Kasanoda was bad and you're about to lick her again?! You say **_**I **_**harass her – you bastards!**"

The twins' jaws fell. Haruhi dropped the tray of teacups to the floor. Honey and Mori's heads shot up, and Kyouya nearly spilled hot cider over his keyboard. Tamaki was rarely violent with language, more or less actions. He had shoved Hikaru and Kaoru so fiercely that they fell flat on their backs, his arms securely around Haruhi while shoving her against his chest.

The few customers that were still left in the room suddenly gasped after hearing "her" instead of "him", and Renge's old-fashioned binoculars fell with a crack on the marble tile.

"_What_?" everyone chorused, eyes wide and awkward silence cloaking the room. Tamaki didn't care that he might have blurted Haruhi's secret. His heart was beating wildly and his veins were burning with rage.

"I…I…" he muttered, panting slowly. He dropped Haruhi to her feet, his face fuming. "I'm sorry, I…couldn't hold back…"

"So you finally realized," the twins said slowly.

Tamaki did not say anything, but by the time he had fled from the room, every pair of eyes was suddenly looking down at a certain host suspiciously. Because now, Haruhi Fujioka was no longer a he, but a she.

* * *

**Tamaki spilled the secret! Now what's the host club going to do? Will they be able to cover it up? Will I ever be able to write two stories at the same time? I really have no clue… -_-;; Please review! No reviews – no story :D**


	4. What happened to Tamaki?

**First of all, holy crap! 20+ reviews with only three chapters?! I am finally writing something successful! Yay! Thank you so much for the reviews – please continue to do so! Sorry for the late update - the internet on my account crashed and wouldn't come up, so I had a new account made. Luckily all my files were copied ^^ Now back to the story! This may take a huge turn...so be prepared...**

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_**4**_

_**What happened to Tamaki?**_

The room had fallen as quiet as death. Eyes flickered back and forth, watching Hikaru pull his brother gently to his feet, Mori lifting Honey's dropped jaw, and always falling on to Haruhi in between. Kyouya immediately took matters into his own hands. He bolted to his feet, walked over to the chocolate eyes swimming with uncertainty, and pulled Haruhi to the front of the room.

"Ladies," the shadow king said in his deadpan tone. The few girls that were present quickly turned to face him. Kyouya sighed before continuing, "It seems that Tamaki has settled the question a few of you have been pondering. Given that Haruhi's secret has just been spilled, I guess I will have to explain this.

"In the beginning of the year, Haruhi broke a vase we would have auctioned starting at a…rather high bidding." He chuckled, causing Haruhi to wince in frustration. "Because she could not pay the debt in money, we instead decided she would pay it by being a host. Now, eventually after her debt was paid, Haruhi chose to stay in the club for the enjoyment of it. However – now that her secret has been spilled, this may or may not affect the host club entirely.

"I'll make this simple. There are six of you here, so we'll do a tally. If you are not disturbed by the fact that Haruhi is a girl, and still enjoy her company, how many of you would like her to stay in the club?"

There was a faint pause. Haruhi's heart started drumming in her chest. She didn't want to leave – as the same with the rest of the group, the host club felt like family to her.

Kyouya's piercing glare softened as he waited patiently on the deciding customers.

One girl blushed and hung her head, but quickly shot her hand into the air. Another did so with a smile on her face. Two more, then another… The last girl seemed nervous. She was twirling a strand of her black locks, but slowly raised her hand as well.

Haruhi sighed in relief, however Kyouya still seemed determined over something.

"Now that you have all answered, there is one more thing to settle," he said suddenly. "If you want Haruhi to stay in the club, you cannot tell anyone else she's a girl. If news spreads over the school, we'll be forced to kick her out. So, by all means, you _must_ keep her secret. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

-*-*-

Tamaki was running as fast as his legs could allow. The echo of his pounding footsteps ceased to leave the hallways. All he knew was that he had to get away…

The look on Hikaru and Kaoru's faces had nearly driven him to tears. The host club was his family – it was what made him feel loved. For him to act so violently because of one person made his heart swell. What was happening to him? Should falling in love with Haruhi affect him that much?

Every reassuring thought that entered his brain was drowned out by his heartbeat. He could hear nothing else – it was speeding faster and faster, constantly ringing in his ears, until he thought he would have a heart attack.

Tamaki felt something warm slide down his cheek.

_I'm sorry, Haruhi…I'm sorry…_

He rounded a corner and saw the person's figure through his swirling gaze. Desperately trying to stop himself, the king slammed his feet into the marble tile. Of course, that was pointless, for gravity pulled him forward and they ended up in a heap anyway.

The girl was tall for her age, but she still appeared a few years younger than him. She had eyes like the ocean and golden-blonde hair. Tamaki remembered hosting her a few times, but he didn't care about that. He hastily jumped off the student and blushed faintly.

"M-My apologies, my princess," he blurted. "I didn't see you."

"Oh, that's alright," the girl said. She had an embarrassed expression, but didn't appear that surprised. "People run into me all the time."

Tamaki knew her face. He remembered her being very bashful, but still forgot her name.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name?" he muttered.

"Oh! Yes, I-I'm Kyuka. I used to come to your club…" She paused and her eyes grew wide. "Tamaki-sama? Are you alright?"

Tamaki hastily wiped the wet streak off his face.

"Don't ask," he spat, a little gruffer than intended. "I need to go…"

Kyuka furrowed her brows, resisting from stopping him as the blonde started running again. But, he couldn't keep going on like this. Eventually he would have to face her. And he knew that…he just didn't want to accept it.

-*-*-

"Senpai!" Haruhi called, panting as she reached the terrace. She caught a glance of the sky-blue blazer just before it vanished into the hedge maze. Haruhi sighed and dropped her head, her breaths dancing over the light breeze.

_What's wrong with him?! _her thoughts shouted irritably. _I don't get it. Unless something happened last night…ugh…why didn't God make me a light sleeper? That would explain it though. I just hope it isn't the case…_

Once catching her breath, the girl sprinted off towards the looming rose-covered hedges. Mid-day sunlight cast a strange shadow over the red petals that Haruhi had grown so accustomed to. She had a feeling she knew where the king had cooped himself, and continued until she came to the arching marble foundation Tamaki had pulled her to so many times before. There was a dark shadow cloaking the inside of the pavilion, but Haruhi could make out the shivering figure and blonde head of hair that was curled against one of the pillars.

"Tamaki-senpai?" she muttered, walking over to him. Tamaki's indigo eyes were glistening with tears, and she could hear him whispering, "I'm sorry," over and over. "Senpai?" she repeated. When there was no reply, she continued, more firmly, "_Tamaki_?"

Tamaki raised his head.

"Haruhi…I'm sorry…" he blurted.

"For what? The twins are okay and no one cares that you cussed."

"B-But – I said –"

"It's alright. Kyouya-senpai took care of everything."

Haruhi sat down next to him and gently rubbed his back, causing Tamaki's face to turn scarlet.

"Haruhi…" he said softly. His voice quivered with uncertainty.

"Did something happen last night?" she said suddenly, causing the blonde to jerk upwards in surprise and yelp, "You weren't awake, were you?!" Now Haruhi was extremely suspicious.

"What are you talking about?"

Tamaki sighed and bit his lip. He hung his head in shame, the explanation slowly rolling off his tongue.

"It was late…I guess I had been cuddling you and was dreaming…I woke up on top of you and started freaking out! I'm sorry! _**Daddies shouldn't do that –**_**!**"

"Senpai! Just tell me what –"

"I kissed you!"

It had been blurted so quickly that the confession was nearly untranslatable. Tamaki had his face in his hands and was whimpering silently. By the time Haruhi had caught on, a blush was nestled over her cheeks.

"You…what…?" she said slowly.

Tamaki gulped and whispered, "Haruhi…have you ever been in love before?"

Haruhi's heart felt like it had lunged out of her chest. She grunted repetitively in replacement of a reply. Tamaki had suddenly leaned very close to her, unable to stop himself. One arm slid around her waist, his hand cupping her cheek.

"Haruhi, I…"

His voice was softer than a whisper, dancing against her skin. She could feel the warmth of his body seeping through their uniforms. The remains of tears sparkled against his long lashes, Haruhi beginning to lose herself in the intense mixture of purplish-blue that confronted her.

"Senpai…"

"Tamaki."

"T-Tamaki –"

"Don't speak."

Haruhi's chocolate eyes widened as the blonde tilted his head, their faces so close to where she could define every portion of his gorgeous orbs… Wait, gorgeous?! Why was she thinking that way?

None the less, it became apparent that Tamaki was doing this off of instinct, and it also was undeniable that there was only so much space between them. Haruhi lowered her eyelids as their lips brushed against each other. Her stomach flipped suddenly, her skin on fire.

She couldn't stop him – she couldn't stop _herself_.

Her hands were sandwiched against the smooth silk of his blazer, her face caressed by the smooth silk of his hair, her heart ecstatic by the smooth silk of his lips – which were skimming across hers in uncontrolled kisses. Both of them couldn't help it. Their feelings had been exposed, and they had both been verified. Tamaki loved her. She loved him.

He was immature, a flat-out moron, and one obsessive "daddy", but being around this new Tamaki – being around the Tamaki everyone else saw, the Tamaki who meant every word he said – the king – was exciting and unknown to her.

Haruhi couldn't imagine how awkward it must have looked with two students on the floor of a cold pavilion, arms wound around each other, and mouths sealed shut in a kiss that was growing increasingly more passionate.

Around the time that they had been caught up in the moment, their position had shifted to where Tamaki was propped on his elbows with one knee arched slightly, Haruhi ending up on his stomach with her hands in his hair.

It had hardly been over fifteen seconds, but each passing moment seemed like an hour to them, and the only thing occurring otherwise was their hearts fluttering and the occasional shiver of pleasure.

Out of the vagueness of her senses, Haruhi heard sets of footsteps coming down the maze. However, she was enjoying herself too much to take notice of them entirely. It was only until there was a faint gasp that the two broke apart.

Tamaki's gaze immediately snapped to the two redheads only a few feet away. Haruhi got the hint and spun around as well. Hikaru's eyes were blazing with rage, while Kaoru's jaw had dropped in disbelief. Although their first intention had been to accuse the blonde for harassing Haruhi, the position their king was in drove every possible accusation down the drain. He was pinned underneath her. And to add more to that, they had been kissing.

Had Haruhi not been threading her fingers through his soft locks, the twins would have immediately labeled Tamaki as guilty.

But…she had been enjoying it. It was obvious.

Hikaru almost looked ready to punch Tamaki in the face, who swallowed loudly and cowered. Now it was up to Haruhi to explain.

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**And…kiss scene! Kind of crappy, probably some typos, but I'll fix that later. Yes, huge turn, but it was bound to happen. Why are there always giant twists in my stories? Now I'm not sure what to do about Hikaru and Kaoru (his name **_**is**_** spelled "Kaoru", right? I spelled it "Karou" in the last chappies so I'll have to go back and change it) The scene will eventually unravel. Thank you for the reviews – please keep them up! **


	5. The Twins are Jealous!

**Well, finally, I am able to get some work updated. The answer to what would be a long explanation is in my profile...anyways, I was able to stay confident after losing my work **_**twice**_** on the Document Manager, so now I'm not being an idiot and writing in WordPad since my laptop doesn't have Microsoft Word (omg!). Anyways, I hope this chappie turned out nice. **_**I am not **_**using spellcheck again on DM, so there will be a few typos I'm sure. Just let me know if they really don't make sense -_-;; This chapter will start focusing on how the "Melancholy of a King" part starts coming in.**_**

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5**_

_**The Twins are Jealous!**_

Tamaki felt like he was a circle in a corner, stuck between life and death, yes and no, dreams and realities. His mouth felt dry and his eyes were wide and shining nervously. Every possible excuse that would usually come to him had been thrown out of his brain. He had no retorts or explanations...he was simply doomed, and he knew that.

No matter what fate lay ahead, though, it really didn't matter. Because the problem was still a huge one - Haruhi remained in a straddling position and the Twins were undeniably furious.

Blushing profusely with a hand in her hair, Haruhi slid off of the blonde's chest and stood against the pillar behind her. This, however, gave Hikaru an opportunity. At that moment, it was unsurprising that he wanted their king dead.

"You jerk!" the redhead sneered, taking a repulsive step forward and snatching Tamaki's shirt collar. Without needing to say anything else, he drew back a fist, and Tamaki prepared himself for the punch that was coming at him.

"Stop!" Haruhi yelled angrily. "Just - _stop_! You're taking this too far!"

Rage burning inside her veins at the fact that Hikaru would even dare try to hurt her lover, she slapped the twin roughly. The harsh sound of skin smacking skin echoed over the silent grounds, leaving Hikaru doubled over with a hand on his reddening cheek.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru exclaimed, stepping towards his brother. As Haruhi watched the scene unfold, she quickly realized they had to get away before it became more violent.

"Come on," she whispered to Tamaki, snatching the blonde's arm and pulling him to his feet.

"B-But - the twins -"

Haruhi made a zipper over her lips with her fingers, and tugged at Tamaki's sleeve as she started running down the back area of the maze. Tamaki reluctantly followed, a nervous glance drifting behind him as the two redheads started to notice they were gone.

-*-*-

Chatter and clinking silverware came from the slightly open door of their beloved music room. Haruhi continued to pull Tamaki forward until she came to a halt, resulting with the host club's king slamming in the door from continually looking behind him. This aroused attention which grew more focused as the two peeked through the cracked door.

"Now what do we do?" Tamaki hissed in annoyance, rubbing his head with a wince. "We can't let you go in there!"

"Only six girls were there when you kept adressing me as a girl, so Kyouya-senpai made them promise not to tell anyone if they wanted me to stay in the club," Haruhi explained. "They haven't spilled anything, so it should be alright."

Tamaki glanced over at her and sighed.

"We're drawing attention," he whispered. "We shouldn't be in the doorway..."

Just as he said this, Honey curiously opened the door that Tamaki was leaning on. Well, Tamaki crashed to the floor with an unnecesscarily loud bang. This drew everyone's eyes to him, so Haruhi came inside as well and crouched down next to him. His eyes were swirling squares of dizziness, but he shook his head and bolted to his feet, striking a dramatic pose.

"And he lives!" he proclaimed. A few girls laughed at the sudden demanor, but felt silent as Haruhi placed a hand on his arm and gently pulled it to his side.

"Senpai," she whispered, tugging at his sleeve again. "_Senpai_?" Tamaki snapped his head to her with a blush on his face.

Haruhi stared at him blankly and muttered, "Start hosting."

"What?!"

Tamaki didn't want to host anyone. He didn't want to see a smile on anyone's lips but Haruhi's. He wanted to feel her soft kisses again, let her drink instant coffee from his mouth, and be the only client he could throw compliments to all day.

Yet, as he was caught up in his thinking, Haruhi had managed to find a girl ready for the king's hosting and let her lead the whimpering blonde to the couch he was normally splayed over.

Once they left, Honey's golden eyes were locked on Tamaki.

"Poor Tama-chan..." he whispered. "I didn't know he was there! Wah - I wanna apologize!"

The child-appearing senior began to rush forward with Usa-chan in his arms, but a tall figure scooped him to his shoulders instead.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said bluntly. "He's busy now."

Honey sighed and leaned into his cousin's black locks, sticking out his lower lip in a childish pout. As the lolita continued to sulk, Haruhi spotted Kyouya scribbling on a clipboard.

"Kyouya-senpai," she whispered, walking over to him. "Er...the twins...they're pretty mad -"

"About your kiss?" the shadow king muttered innocently, receiving a shocked grunt from the victim.

"H-How did you -?!"

"I saw the whole thing," Kyouya said with a chuckle. "You two seemed to really get into it. Well, it's about time the idiot realized his feelings."

"But...how?!"

"I have my ways."

Kyouya gave that sarcastic smile, Haruhi's eyelid twitching in shock.

_Damn rich people, _her thoughts groaned. She really hated this guy.

-*-*-

There was a light rain falling against Ouran's grounds, streams of water coating the windows of Music Room #3. A few customers were being woed by Kyouya's occasional compliments, Honey's cuteness and Mori's bluntness, Haruhi's commoner info, and mostly by the host club's king melting them with his flirtatious charm.

It had been two days since the kiss. And since then, the twins had yet to show their faces around the club. Tamaki could honestly say he was terrified that they would come and pound him, and Haruhi was worried it would turn out violent again.

Around the later hours, after the school day was almost over and the sun was slowly starting to set, the redheads finally entered the music room. Their heads were bent, walking shoulder to shoulder, strides matching. Haruhi caught a glance of Hikaru's blazing eyes and realized the emotion filled inside of them.

"They're jealous," she whispered. The twins walked until they were parallel from Tamaki, however never meeting eyes with him.

There was no one in the room except for the hosts. Haruhi's stomach started to twist nervously. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

"You filthy cheapskate," they muttered slowly. Hikaru raised his head, Kaoru stared at Haruhi with narrowed eyes, and afterwards both of them simply glared daggers at the king. Tamaki's indigo eyes flashed nervously. He wasn't sure what to expect...however, it was too late to expect anything. The twins had made their move.

Hikaru's fist slashed through the air, ramming into Tamaki's stomach. The blonde doubled over with a gasp, hands on his thobbing middle with teeth clenched. Haruhi yelled his name is surprise, but Kaoru suddenly appeared behind her and held her from interfering.

Kyouya's clipboard fell without a sound. Mori had rushed to the scene, Hikaru's foot crashing into Tamaki's back and sending him sprawled over the floor. Haruhi fought desperately against Kaoru's secure arms, but it was pointless.

It was obvious Mori didn't want to hurt the younger host. After being shoved and kicked away from the thrashing redhead, he, finally, was able to pin Hikaru to the floor. However, just before he did this, Hikaru had finished his attempt. His final move had been one unfailing punch. Tamaki lay face-down, paralyzed with fear. He hadn't been hurt terribly but it was enough to make any move feel like he had been stabbed with a spear of ice.

After being released from Kaoru's grasp, Haruhi ran over to the collasped blonde. Mori was by his side with Honey, whose eyes were wide with shock; Kyouya was crouched as well, and even Renge stood with a hand over her mouth.

"Tamaki?!" Haruhi blurted, gently turning him over to his side. Tamaki winced as she tried to help him up, placing his trembling hands on the floor as he sat on his knees. His back was arched in a defeated slump, and he sat breathing unevenly.

As much as he knew it would come, he felt so broken...his family, his brothers...they were so envious that they had resorted to violence. But...why?

There was a grunt, then a chorused hiss of two words.

"You bastard."

It had fallen silent. When everyone looked up to scan the room, the twins were gone.

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**Ooh, suspenseful! I have fallen in love with writing this! Yes, it took a serious dramatic turn, but my stories have twists! Once again, I remind you I had to use WordPad so I did not have a spell check. If you see any typos that really don't make sense, just let me know. I'm sorry for making Hikaru punch Tamaki, but their had to be some suspense :D Thank you so much for the reviews! Please continue with them!**


	6. Rivalry and Melancholy

**I'm so, so, so sorry for the late update! Tiny writer's block and a little bit of uncertainty about writing this since I'm on my mom's account, but alas, it is finished. Once again, let me know if you see any typos that destroy where the paragraph is going. The twins have turned from violence to a prank-like scheme, and now our Tamaki is their rival.**__

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_**6**_

_**Rivalry and Melancholy**_

Silence cloaked the room in a disturbing way, almost as if Nekozawa had suddenly made a dramatic entrance by some form of black magic. Tamaki's hand was on his throbbing middle, his teeth clenched while leaning against Haruhi for support. Nothing mattered now…the only thing cowering at the front of his mind was pain…

Oh…it hurt so terribly…

His head drooped without effort, eyes slowly closing. In the attempt to straighten himself, his back unexpectedly seared with nerves like an eternal flame, and Tamaki cried out in surprise as the reaction of an electrical shock sent him forward again. He felt like he had been beaten with a club. The darkening blotches of skin where Hikaru had left his marks stung dully at every movement. The blonde knew the bruises would worsen, but weakness and unfamiliarity to such actions left him breathless.

He didn't know what to do or how to react. He wasn't like Mori and Honey. He wasn't a mastermind at the ways of the Dojo. He barely knew anything of martial arts, and could hardly time a successful kick unless his opponent was defenseless.

But now, with his muscles tensing and breaths uneven, he let himself slip farther and farther forward until he was entirely supported by Haruhi's nimble frame.

Everyone circled around them watched the scene with mute surprise, unable to speak and even more unable to move.

Renge seemed scared, to be honest. Her hand remained over her mouth and a horrified expression had let to leave her face. Kyouya and Mori simply stared with expressions of shock, while Honey's golden eyes were watering at the undeniable whimpers of pain leaving Tamaki's lips.

"Tama-chan…" the Lolita whispered, taking a step forward. Tamaki did not reply; the whimpers ceased and silence came over the room again.

"He needs a doctor."

Kyouya stated the obvious, standing abruptly. After receiving a blunt glare from the shadow king, Mori understood and sprinted out of the room, which turned from a jog into a full-paced run by the sound of his pounding footsteps.

During the time that he was gone, Kyouya came over to Tamaki and gently touched his shoulder.

"Tamaki," he said, his tone slightly demanding. "How do you feel?"

"Isn't that a rather pointless question?" Tamaki replied with a forced smile, wincing as the chuckle kneaded his abdomen like stitches.

Trying to prove he was alright – though it was an excuse to avoid saying he was hurt – the blonde gently heaved himself off of Haruhi with an apologetic glance and shuffled away from her. He crouched over on his knees, legs spread slightly, and combed his hair with his fingers to act like his usual self. However, just the movement of raising his arm caused pain to slither down his back.

Tamaki drew his arm to his chest afterward and sighed gently. He suddenly realized how badly his back hurt…from the position he had been in when Hikaru kicked him down, there was an easy chance that he might have broken something.

Though far-fetched and over reactive, this kept Tamaki's racing thoughts at bay, and he sat there in a hunched slump trying to find where it hurt the most.

Just as his hand pressed into his stomach and a small gasp came from poking the bruised muscles, Mori returned with a man in a white lab coat close on his heels. The doctor looked to be in his middle thirties with coarse brown hair and dark eyes, a worried expression coating his face.

"Suoh?" he muttered hastily, addressing the host club's king by his last name. Tamaki raised his indigo eyes and tried to stand, but retreated to a crouch as his back throbbed without cease. The doctor quickly rushed over to him and gestured for the blonde to remain on the floor. With a gentle voice he asked for an explanation, and Haruhi blurted it instead. After hearing the story, the doctor ran a hand through his hair and pursed his lips. This wasn't just a simple scratch; this was a real injury that would cause him to be at his best for the best.

"May I?" said the man in a rushed tone, his hands steady as they rested on his upper chest. Tamaki nodded his approval. Immediately the doctor began disrobe the second-year's upper-body, handing the sky-blue blazer to the closest person – that being Haruhi – and afterwards proceeding undo his tie and unbutton his shirt, where he then tried his best to get Tamaki to straighten himself so he could examine the blotchy patch of skin over his stomach.

It was slightly a yellowish mixture of reddening skin, where the bruise would eventually turn purplish-blue to a darker color until it would go away. The doctor gently pressed his hand against Tamaki's averagely-muscled form, determining from the winces and reflexive noises of surprise that though painful, the bruise would eventually heal. Since it wasn't anything serious, he moved on.

Once behind him, the doctor gently slid Tamaki's shirt down his arms to reveal his bare skin. Near the middle of his back was a reddening, yellowish-brown bruise that was rapidly starting to turn darker as the blood rushed to his skin. Again the doctor pressed against his back to determine the severity.

"Nothing's broken," he said reassuringly, receiving a sigh of relief from everyone in the room. "However…this looks to be quite sensitive. I can bandage it up to keep it unexposed, that way it will heal quicker. Some ointment should do the trick. You also seem very tense from the blow, so you might want to have someone loosen those muscles…

"Now, I don't want to ask too much of you," the doctor continued, "but can you stand?"

Tamaki hesitantly placed his hands on the floor and gently raised himself to a half-standing position. He grunted a few times as courses of pain shot through his body, but eventually managed to get to his feet and straighten himself.

The doctor gently patted his shoulder with a smile, and after a moment of silence began to walk away to get bandages and some healing salve, once again leaving the hosts alone. Honey was overjoyed that their king was okay and Renge was grinning with tears of joy. Mori and Kyouya gave small smiles, but still with their blunt meaning.

Haruhi, however, remained on the floor, speechless and confused by all means. When she took up the strength to stand, her heartbeat drummed with rage. Though Tamaki was starting to act like his usual self, despite still hurting terribly, she knew the twins had purposely given him that much pain.

It infuriated her. She could feel girlish hormones seeping out in pathetic signs of annoyance, though the only thing she wanted to do was get revenge on the twins – whether it solved anything or not.

-*-*-

"Hikaru!"

Kaoru raced after the grumbling twin, who was vanishing down a corner.

"Hikaru, come back!"

As the redhead caught up to his brother, he pulled him to a halt and came in front of him.

"Hikaru…" with breaths slow, Kaoru looked into the golden eyes before him. "I…I know we were going to get back at Tamaki, but now that I think about it, didn't we go a little far? I mean, he could hardly pick himself off the floor and seemed to be in a terrible amount of pain –"

"Are you saying you feel bad for him?!" Hikaru spat, his piercing glare blazing with rage. "You saw what happened! They were kissing – lavishly – right in front of us!"

"It's not like they set it up that way," his twin retorted. "Besides –"

"She was straddling him and their lips were connected like glue! Ugh – I can't stand it…after everything I've tried to do, it always fails…that bastard keeps getting to her first! And he hardly spends half as much time as we do with her!"

"I…I was mad too, but…if you love Haruhi, don't you think that beating up Tamaki like that might have ruined it?"

Hikaru sighed and furrowed his brows in annoyance. He gave up trying to convince Kaoru why jealously flared inside of him so badly. It was obvious that though they both cared for her, it was Hikaru who truly loved her. He could care less about how Tamaki was feeling. He knew that eventually the blonde would be better and be hosting just the same, and knew that if getting physical didn't help, then he would risk anything to tear apart their relationship.

All he wanted was Haruhi's love – she had been the person he had dreamed of, who understood them and could tell the twins apart without a sweat – but Tamaki had gotten to her first.

Anything to ruin it, anything…

And then, suddenly, Hikaru got an idea.

-*-*-

There was soft chatter inside Music Room #3. Everyone pitied Tamaki and was gentle with him, though the customers were given a slightly twisted explanation as to why he was sore. The king lay splayed against one of the couches, wearing a slightly different attire of just his collared shirt – unbuttoned to the upper-middle of his chest – and his striped tie circled loosely around his neck. With one hand in his hair and the other limply draped over his stomach, it was unsurprising that he wooed his customers just by glancing at them.

Swooning with sparkling eyes, the girls stared at him in awe.

"Why aren't you wearing your blazer, Tamaki-senpai?" one whispered, while another cheered, "Gorgeous!"

"Well," Tamaki began in a silky voice. "After my little injury, I decided not to bother to put it on. It's quite painful to tug on shirts with your stomach and back hurting at every movement."

"Oh, Tamaki!" the girls said in unison, hands under their chins.

While the blonde was pitied and praised, Haruhi stood next to Kyouya with a blank expression.

"You made him host, didn't you?" she grumbled, glancing at the shadow king.

"I'm afraid I had no choice," Kyouya replied with a chuckle. "Besides…what's the host club without our dear king hosting?"

"It's only been a few days – he's still hurt! You can't act so insensitive!"

"Calm down, Haruhi." Kyouya laughed against his knuckles. "I'm beginning to think you really do care for that moron."

Haruhi glared daggers at the eyes behind the glasses, which were unseen from the flare of light over the lens. The black-haired senior ruffled her soft locks playfully, an empty smile over his face. As Tamaki continued to host and Honey continued to eat cake, Mori returned from searching for the twins.

"Still no sign of them?" Kyouya muttered. Mori shook his head. The shadow king grunted in contemplation, while whispering, "Why would they be hiding?"

-*-*-

As the day ended, Tamaki was shuffling feebly around the room looking for his blazer, which had a stash of roses in an underside pocket. He wasn't someone to lose things, so he was quite puzzled that it wasn't where he left it.

Meanwhile, outside the club headquarters stood the twins waiting for an opportunity. Upon seeing a rather pretty girl with golden hair and blue eyes, they noticed she was staring at Tamaki through the half-open door.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Hikaru muttered in an unusually polite voice. "I noticed you were admiring our king."

"Oh…"

The girl, Kyuka to be certain, blushed terribly while letting her bangs cover her wide eyes.

"N-No, I wasn't…admiring…"

"You have a thing for him?"

Hikaru began to smile. What a perfect way to scam them! He ignored the nervous glance from Kaoru and continued to press the subject.

"Well," Kyuka began in a shaky voice. "He is really nice and very handsome…he's like a prince out of a fairytale! But, he charms so many women…why would he notice me…"

"Pardon me, but, your name is…?"

"Kyuka. Kyuka Amu."

"So you're the girl he has such an interest in…"

Hikaru stretched the sentence, Kyuka gasping at the fake statement.

"What? He has an…interest in me?"

"Oh yes, he likes you very, very much. He wouldn't shut up about how pretty you were."

"So…he's likes me?"

"More than like."

Hikaru smiled kindly.

"Speaking of which," the twin continued. "He's probably looking for you. I think he expected to host you today."

Kyuka covered her mouth to hide the grin spreading over her face, and with a delighted giggle, she sprung into the room. Hikaru chuckled under his breath, but quickly turned to face Kaoru as the redhead hissed, "Hikaru! It's Haruhi – she's coming!"

"Even better…come on, hide."

Hikaru shoved his twin behind the cover of a corner as Haruhi's footsteps grew louder.

Meanwhile, inside the music room, Tamaki had suddenly been pounced by Kyuka.

"Ah –! Why…hello, my princess," he whispered, thankful she hadn't landed on his back.

"Tamaki-sama," Kyuka blurted, out of breath by her own excitement. "I-It's true? Oh, I knew it was true! You're too sweet, I knew it!"

"Pardon me, but I have no clue –"

Tamaki was cut off as Kyuka draped her arms around his neck and slid herself closer to his six-foot frame. She smiled against his shoulder, later looking up into his gorgeous eyes and drawing their faces closer.

"Oh…Tamaki…"

The whisper was the last thing he heard until his heart stopped. Tamaki had never felt so frozen. Realization slowly came to his mind…she was kissing him. Her lips refused to part from his, her body pressed against him.

Paralyzed, the only thing he could do was let rants of shock spread through his brain. And to make matters worse, footsteps were heard, and the door opened.

Tamaki gasped at the sight of Haruhi, wrenching himself away from Kyuka and trying to block the tears of insanity wanting to fall from his eyes. Her eyes were wide, jaw slack, eyebrows furrowed. At first she seemed confused, then outraged, then saddened, like a little girl creeping out from underneath a curtain of uncertainty. Tamaki felt he like was about to burst.

Never, not even with his all depression-sessions and life conflicts, had melancholy drowned his heart as strongly as it did then.

* * *

**Well, that was a sudden twist! Sorry for you Hikaru/Kaoru fans, but as you can see, Kaoru is having doubts of his brother's actions so he might switch sides. That or (hopefully!) Hikaru will make up with Tamaki. Sorry for the late update, but I hope you'll forgive me :) Once again - review!**


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